Sandpaper & Silk
by Digital Tempest
Summary: Drabbles100 challenge fic. Like sandpaper and silk, they're a fitting incongruity. Possible spoiler warnings. Palex.
1. 001 Beginnings

**Title: **Sandpaper & Silk**  
Author: **Tempest**  
Disclaimer: **If we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended. That you did but slumber'd here while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme is no more yielding then a dream. Gentles, do not reprehend. If you pardon, we will mend _(Shakespeare)._ I don't own any characters recognizable from Degrassi: TNG. No copyright infringement intended.**  
Foreword:** I'm doing for the 100 drabbles community on livejournal. I try to stick with the traditional definition of a drabble (drabble, around 100 words; double drabble, around 200 words; anything beyond, evolved drabble). Oh yes, there will be 100 of these drabbles around 100-200 words. Mwahahaha! I'm trying to just make these various unrelated scenes, but some may revolve around each other.

**#001 – Beginnings**

**_S.S. Michalchuk_  
**_103 Words_

Captain's Log, Day One

The initial stages of a blooming romance are generally very difficult, even if you've known the person any considerable amount of time. The first few weeks are spent in what others perceive as a new-love bliss where you see only your significant other and little else matters.

But anyone who's truly been in "_love"_ knows that despite loving stares and stolen touches, in the back of your mind, you're wondering if you're getting this right. Because just as no two person interpret things the same, no two people love the same.

"Paige, are you writing about us again?"

"Maybe."


	2. 002 Middles

**#002 – Middles **

_**S.S. Michalchuk Revisited**  
103 words_

Captain's Log, Day Thirty

The middle of a relationship was when it all made sense… somewhat. The middle was easy to differentiate from the beginning or the end of a relationship because you fell into a comfortable lull with your significant other.

Thiswas the period in a relationship where you could finish each other sentences, where you knew what she's thinking just by looking into her eyes. Things should always be this way, but no relationship is that lucky.

"Will you stop writing in that _stupid_ captain's log?"

"It's therapeutic… Wait, how did you know I was calling it my _captain's log_?"

———

**Author's Notes:** Yeah, I know I said that I was trying to make these all unrelated, but these first three drabbles share related words.


	3. 003 Ends

**#003 – Ends**

_**S.S. Michalchuk Aborted**  
105 words_

Captain's Log, Day Sixty

No matter if a break-up ended amicably or spitefully, there was still a certain sense of failure that you couldn't shake, especially if you cared for this person more than you thought possible. Though you tell yourself that your heart will move on, you can't help picturing her wry smile or hearing the way her voice would soften only for you.

Her accusations burned like fire, and you wanted to make reparation for the things you'd done. Maybe you never told her enough how much she meant to you. But you would not surrender; you would go down with your ship.


	4. 004 First

**#004 – First**

_**Incommunicable**  
100 words_

The first time Alex heard Paige say the words "I love you," she'd pretended to be sleep while Paige held her close, unsure of what she was supposed to say in return.

Paige's love flowed free and true while Alex preferred to reserve her love until she was sure that it was deserved. _Fairytale love stories weren't exactly her thing_, she reminded herself.

Her heart pulsed hard in her chest at the thought of someone actually giving a damn about her—actually _loving _her—for more than just her body. However, she couldn't speak the words Paige needed to hear.


	5. 005 Last

**#005 – Last**

_**Apocalypse, Please**  
100 words  
Warning: Implied adult situations_

The end came swiftly—too swiftly in Alex's opinion. One minute, they were studying ancient civilizations, their conversation coming in stilted, short phrases. The next minute, they're ripping their clothes off studying the curves of each other's body.

Fevered and needing, raw heat ensconced them like a cocoon. Their lips touched gently, at first. The feel of Paige's lips barely registered until they became furious in their intent. The _end of the world_ rolled like fire in the pit of her belly, curling her toes and shortening her breath.

Paige cried afterwards, and that's how Alex knew it was over.


	6. 006 Hours

**#006 – Hours**

_**Swansong**  
100 words  
Future drabble_

One of her sorority sisters, Danielle Palmer, convinced her togo see one of the acts performing for the week—Chemical Burn. Danielle's blue eyes had glazed over like a gossamer veil, as she spoke about their song "Swansong," which she called a sick tale of obsessive love.

She'd gone under the condition she would stay only for Chemical Burn's set. She really wasn't in the mood to hear any emotionally wrought songs that detailed every inner working of a failed romance. She knew that song all too well.

Sipping on watered down soda, she hadn't expected to see Alex.


	7. 007 Days

**#007 – Days**

**_Swansong II_  
**_103 words  
Future drabble_

Paige saw her first, up on a stage, fronting an all-female band called Chemical Burn, at a local club called _Shades_. She'd gotten a copy of their new album—7 Days—at the door.

She'd never been to _Shades_ before, preferring the lighter, vibrant clubs that catered to the dance crowd rather than the dark, indie-ish scene that never did anything for her besides leave her depressed.

Before she saw Alex, she'd sat at the table only half-interested in the pseudo-intelligent conversation going on around her. Her mind wandered as it often did when she was somewhere she didn't really want to be.


	8. 009 Months

**#009 – Months**

_**Swansong III  
**100 words  
Future drabble_

She would be graduating in exactly two months.

Most of her friends were looking forward to that, but she didn't really know what she was supposed to do out in the "real world." Everyone always referred to university as the "real world." Though, she begged to differ.

She didn't look up from her soda when Chemical Burn was introduced. She didn't think it was too important to know what they looked like until she heard the voice. You never forget your friends' voice, and you never forget the intimacy you heard in the voice of someone you cared for deeply.


	9. 010 Years

**#010 – Years**

_**Swansong IV  
**100 words  
Future fic_

She hadn't seen Alex in years, not since graduation, at least. Empty promises to keep in touch had slipped from their mouths during those final moments together, but they both knew they didn't mean it.

She was reluctant to look up. It was painful.

She spent the last four years of her life trying to forget that voice, the way it would deepened to a sultry purr when she told her something secret, the way she was singing the song right now. Alex had no right to share that with the world—to share that with anyone that wasn't her.

- - -

**Author's Notes:** Yeah, I skipped a word, but I'll come back to it later.


	10. 021 Friends

**#021 – Friends **

_**Friendship Rising**  
100 words_

Watching a friendship emerge between two people who hated each other was like watching the slow rising of the morning sun—brilliant to behold.

It wasn't so obvious at first. It started out barely noticeable, cracking the horizon with a demure peek. Then, slowly it ascended upward until it was bright and luminous, blinding all who dared to stare at it head-on.

In fact, it was _too_ intense to be considered a "normal" friendship. Maybe it'd never been a friendship at all. Maybe it'd always been a "Palex" with both parties painfully unsure of how to proceed before the premiere.


	11. 022 Enemies

**#022 – Enemies**

_**Hate**  
100 words_

As enemies, they'd been a shining example of what a powerful emotion "hate" was. Scathing words and death dealing stares punctuated a complicated, hateful relationship.

Some didn't truly know how it started or why they carried on so hatefully. Most people liked to believe their hatred for each other was based on the fact that they were the contrast of the other.

A brave few mused that beneath the hatred there was something more. There was something too intimate about it, something that made this hatred their own. It wasn't over-generalized; it was specific to their feelingsand each other.


	12. 023 Lovers

**#023 – Lovers**

_**Love & Life**  
100 words_

It was only natural that they'd love each other as passionately as they'd hated each other.

There was nothing frilly or pretty about their relationship. It was no holds barred between them. They gave to each other as much as they took. They didn't cover lies with pretty half-truths. They were _real_.

It was all or none unlike other relationships that had no clear direction or purpose. Even though they knew their relationship might end as abruptly as the next, they knew that the experience of being together would leave them both with a valuable lesson about love and life.


	13. 024 Family

**#024 – Family**

_**A Dyke Thing  
**100 words_

Paige was fortunate to have a family that understood, being that they'd already weathered that storm.

Alex, however, was lucky if her mom even looked her in the eyes most days, after she accidentally found out about Paige. She hadn't had the nerve to tell her mother that she was dating Paige because she knew that her mother would never understand, even though she would pretend to.

"It must be a dyke thing," her mother often said when Alex said or did something that didn't make sense to her.

"No, it must be a drunk thing." Alex would counter angrily.


	14. 071 Broken

**#071 – Broken**

_**Incomplete**  
100 words_

To admit that she was broken, that she felt incomplete in some way, meant that she _really_ trusted Paige. Most of her life, she'd gone through the motions of pretending to be okay when she knew that there was something in her that needed to be mended.

Rarely did people think about the consequences of living the life she'd lived her whole life, the damage that could be done even if she didn't show it. She thought she'd spend the rest of her dismal life in this semi-haze, but Paige made her want to strive for something more than this.

- - -

**Author's Notes:** I was trying to go in order with these prompts, but that wasn't working out. So, I'm writing up drabbles for the words that call to me first. Thanks for reading so far. I'm glad that you're enjoying them.


	15. 042 Triangle

**#042 – Triangle**

**Divergence note:** Paige and Alex argued but didn't break up, but Paige and Spinner still slept together.

_**You & Me & Her**  
100 words_

Sharing wasn't in her vocabulary, especially when it came to Paige.

"What kinda fucked up game are you playing, Spinner?" Alex asked him angrily.

He'd had his chance with Paige, but he'd blown it for Manny—_of all people_.

"Paige and I just have fun," he said with a classic Spinner-esque smirk.

She wanted to punch his face in. They didn't have _fun_. He was only a revenge fuck and too stupid to see that.

"What about little Ms. Jesus-freak?" she asked. Did he forget her?

She wanted to laugh when she saw his smirk disappear. So, Darcy _didn't_ know.


	16. 086 Choices

**#086 – Choices**

_**The Invite**  
100 words_

Breaking up with Paige sparked a constant battle of internal "what ifs?" What if she hadn't broken up with Paige? Would she be happy now? Would they have broken up somewhere down the line, anyway?

She was 25, now, but she often wondered how much better or worse things could've been had she stayed with Paige. That question often played out in her dreams with various endings, but now she had her answer.

The choices you make in life sometimes come back to haunt you later down the road. Alex's finger traced the golden, embossed letters on the wedding invitation.


	17. 027 Parents

**#027 – Parents**

_**The Michalchuk Legacy**  
100 words_

"For what it's worth, my parents are only half understanding about the situation." Paige said.

Her parents accepted that she was with Alex with resignation rather than true understanding. Sure, they'd been through this all before with Dylan, and her parents realized that they had to accept her decision. That didn't make them super parents, by far.

When she'd told her mother that she was dating Alex, the first thing she said was, "Well, I guess that means no grandchildren," as if Paige had somehow ruined the Michalchuk legacy by dating Alex.

"Try saying that after living with my mom."


	18. 028 Children

**#028 – Children**

_**The Michalchuk Legacy Revisited**  
100 words_

"Paige, you're being difficult."

"Mother," she started, "being with Alex doesn't mean you and dad can't have grandchildren."

She only called her mom "mother" when she was annoyed with her.

"And just because I'm with Alex doesn't mean I don't want children."

Her mother's eyes lit up at these words, and Paige just couldn't resist her next jab.

"It just means that he or she may not come through _conventional_ methods. I mean, there's always adoption."

"True…" her mother drawled, missing the mischievous glance in her daughter's eyes.

"And there's always artificial insemination." Paige added.

"Paige, you _can't_ be serious."


	19. 025 Strangers

**#025 – Strangers**

_**Unsent Letters**  
100 words_

Dear Paige, that's as far as she'd gotten in her letter before deciding it already sounded like bullshit. It was too formal, too proper—not her at all. Even if she did manage to get the words she needed to say to come out, it would probably only sound trite.

And why did she need to give Paige a letter, anyway? They weren't strangers, and they didn't hate each other. They were pleasant toward one another. There were things she needed to tell Paige. Not just what she'd told her at the mall that day, but other things… important things.


	20. 088 He

**#088 – He**

_**4 a.m.  
**100 Words_

He found her number on the bathroom wall, he says. Some pizza joint down the street from his house. But he wasn't calling her for a good time. He'd only called to "talk."

It occurred to Alex that she should've yelled at him until his ears bled (it was fucking four in the morning!), but instead, she found herself spilling her story to a stranger who said he habitually called numbers on bathroom walls because he's "lost"—a metaphor for his existential existence.

She talked about Paige mostly, and when she finished, he said she was lost just like him.

- - -

**Author's Notes:** Male character mentioned in this drabble comes from an original story I'm writing. He just randomly decided to drop into one of my drabbles.


	21. 072 Fixed

**#072 – Fixed**

_**Untitled #01**  
109 words_

Sometimes, Paige felt like they were trying to fix each other, and she'd often heard it said that if the relationship didn't heal old pains naturally, if you felt that you _had_ to fix that person, that the relationship truly wasn't perfect at all.

But Alex had helped her, gave her hope when she thought there wasn't any, had shown her more about love than most of the guys she'd been with. And she wouldn't deny the lust was there, but the lust wasn't what made the relationship work.

So what did it matter if they were consciously trying to fix each other as long as it was working?


	22. 056 Breakfast

**#056 – Breakfast**

_**Breakfast with Hazel**  
100 words_

Paige met up with Hazel for breakfast. They hadn't been talking much since she'd started dating Alex, so she was surprised when Hazel called. Now, she wasn't so sure that she should've accepted the invite. She can see the questions in Hazel eyes, and she wasn't sure that she's ready for them.

"What's it like being with a girl?" Hazel blurted out.

"Just like being with anyone you care about."

She can't believe how many times various other people asked her the same thing. Just because she was with Alex, did that mean she's supposed loved any differently than before?


	23. 011 Red

**#011 – Red**

**The Color of Love: Red  
**100 words

Paige was a total bitch to deal with when she was _really_ angry, as Alex found out. She wouldn't say that she hadn't meant to make Paige mad, but Paige was beyond "mad." She was "absolutely, positively" (Paige's words, nor hers) livid.

When Paige was angry, she didn't scream, throw shit, or lash out physically. Instead, she was calm and cool, her words like shards of ice cutting to the bone. Alex knew how to handle angry outbursts; she wasn't so sure how to handle Paige's cool cruelty.

And honestly, Alex didn't think she had _ever_ experienced anything more brutal.

———

**Author's notes**: Excuse my lull in updates. I've been working on so many challenge fics that some of my stories are experiencing lulls, but I'm whittling down the list, so hopefully, I'll update this much faster.


	24. 012 Grey

**#012 – Grey**

_**The Color of Love: Grey**  
100 words_

Alone in her room, Paige thought about what she was going to do about Alex. She'd kissed a girl, and she'd felt _something_. She was reluctant to say what that "something" was, so she'd just continue to call it "something." She couldn't believe how much she'd let Alex get under her skin.

She reminded herself that things weren't always black and white. Hazy shades of gray confused and teased at every turn, making life one complicated mess such as now. It was amazing how they'd gone from hating one another to… something.

Was this how things were supposed to happen?


	25. 013 White

**#013 – White **

_**The Color of Love: White  
**100 words _

White was the color of the dress and veil her mother said she would never wear on her wedding day if she stayed with Alex. What did her mother know, anyway?

White was the color of worldly innocence before it was snatched away with a single violent thrust. White was the color of serenity and peace, and white was the color of healing.

White was the color of Alex's favorite jacket, the one that Paige had swiped from her apartment, the one she smelled at night to make herself feel completely safe, the one that smelled just like Alex's love.


	26. 081 Blind

**#081 – Blind**

_**Blind Love**  
100 words_

Paige wished she could say that love made her blind enough to overlook the some of the things that Alex did.

However, it seemed like the more she turned her eyes away from these "things," the more Alex threw them up in her face.

"This is my life, Paige." Alex would say when Paige tried to pretend that she wasn't aware.

"But it doesn't have to be," she would often respond belying her blindness to the matter.

Alex said she didn't understand because she'd been a princess all her life. Paige just didn't think Alex was willing to accept change.


	27. 066 Rain

**#066 – Rain**

_**Perfect**  
100 words_

In a perfect world, the day Alex broke up with her, it would've been cloudy, indicating a storm. They would've been outside, preferably as far away from people as they could manage (embarrassment factor considered).

In a perfect world, the day would've started out ominous—a sign of things to come—so she wouldn't have been too surprised when Alex broke up with her. And when Alex spoke the words that signaled the end, the rain would've started as her tears did, hiding them from the world.

Then again, in a perfect world, they never would've broken up at all.


	28. 043 Square

**#043 – Square**

**_The List Pt._** _**I**  
100 words_

**Reasons Why I Couldn't Possibly Be With Alex**

01.) Alex is a girl, and I happen to be _straight._ Straight doesn't mean ambiguously pining after other girls. Straight means preferring a member of the opposite sex to your own.

02.) Alex doesn't have any ambition in life… or at least, not any known ambition. That means she's not dependable. I need stability in my life. After so many failed relationships, I need some _real_ constancy.

03.) I'm not ready to break any stereotypes. What will my friends think? What will her friends think?

04.) Square peg, round hole. 'Nuff said.

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for all your reviews. I try to answer all the signed reviews personally, but I don't always get around to it. So, I wanted to drop everyone a quick note to let you all know that I sincerely appreciate it.


	29. 040 Sight

**#040 – Sight**

_**Frailty**  
100 words_

Paige considered Alex a person who didn't wear her heart on her sleeve.

Alex was tough, cynical. She could stare anyone down without flinching—students and teachers alike. This was something Paige had always admired about Alex. She didn't put up with _anyone's_ shit. Cross Alex and you were liable to feel the string of her right cross.

That's why it was hard the first time she'd seen Alex cry, when she'd tried to protect her mother from her no-good boyfriend, Chad. It was a rare moment of weakness that she hadn't considered in Alex, a frailty that touched her.

———

**Author's Notes:** I've been a mood for pathos. I'm going to try to write some fluffy Palex drabbles in the near future. I was a little delayed with these due to some infanity involving one of my other fandoms. I had to get a fic out for that fandom before I could continue.


	30. 026 Teammates

**#026 – Teammates**

_**Order**  
100 words_

Paige had a preoccupation with things being in order. Paige always had a game plan; their dates were always organized on a time scale. Alex felt like she was playing on a team.

6 o'clock: The Dot for a sit down with friends, don't order anything saturated in grease and preservatives.

8 o'clock: movie, preferably something that had a cute leading man, an equally cute leading woman, and romance; no exceptions.

10 o'clock: home with quick smooches because the neighbors were looking.

12 o'clock: naughty encounter in the bedroom after strategic Michalchuk sneaking tactics.

Alex thought Paige wrote down _everything_.


	31. 090 It

**#090 – It**

_**Poetry**  
100 words_

Alex shared things she'd never shared with anyone—including Jay.

She told Paige how she wanted to be a spoken-word artist, standing up on stage, telling it like it is, another Nicole Blackman. Paige wanted to hear some of her poetry.

She didn't have any poetry to perform for her, so she said the first thing that came to mind. It was just a dream, anyway, but Paige said it showed she had some ambition in life, that she had some kind of direction.

Alex wasn't sure it said a lot about her, except that she knew how to dream.


	32. 089 She

**#089 – She**

_**She**  
100 words_

She held her close at night, body pressed close, heat wrapping around Alex's body like a shield. She smelled like lavender and honey, an odd combination of smells but decidedly nice.

She whispered in Alex's ear, lips close, brushing softly against the lobe like a forbidden promise. She knew that Alex giggled when she was kissed on the hollow of her throat.

She didn't mind when Alex rested her head in her lap, rubbing her fingers through her hair, after Alex had a bad day. She didn't make Alex say she was sorry after they fought.

But she _wasn't_ Paige.


	33. 038 Touch

**#038 – Touch**

_**Touch**  
100 words  
A continuation of "She"_

She liked to touch. She told Alex that it was her favorite sense. She liked it even more than taste.

She said Alex's skin feels like fine velvet, soft and delicate beneath her fingers. She said Alex's hair is like spun-silk washing across her hand. She said Alex's lips were silky and soft like rose petals.

"If I were blind," she said, her lips buried in the hollow of Alex's neck, "I would never stop touching you. _Ever_."

"You're _so_ damn sweet." Alex said between her giggles.

_If I were blind_, Alex said to herself, _I'd pretend you were Paige._


	34. 048 Diamond

**#048 – Diamond**

_**Tears  
**100 words  
A continuation of "She" and "Touch" _

She cried small tears that slid down her face like precious diamonds. She was upset with Alex, really upset. Alex tried to hold her in her arms, but she pushed her away roughly.

"Don't be upset with me," Alex said softly, hoping she sounded sorry.

She wasn't really good at that sort of thing. She hadn't meant to hurt her by uttering the misplaced endearment during an intimate moment, but she'd said it before her mind could warn her of what she was doing.

"But you called me Paige."

"I didn't mean to."

"You _never_ do, Alex," she replied bitterly.

———

**Author's Notes:** I know some of you are wondering who "She" is, but I didn't name her because I wanted to leave that to your imagination. I have two more parts that I'll be uploading in these "She" drabbles.


	35. 080 Healing

**#080 – Healing**

_**Moving On**  
100 words  
A continuation of "She", "Touch", and "Tears"._

"How do you expect to heal if you won't let her go?" she asked.

"I don't know." Alex shrugged.

She didn't know how she was supposed to heal if she kept clinging to a memory.

"The point in trying to move on is so you can heal," she said sharply.

Alex mused that she could be spiteful when she wanted to be.

"I just miss her so much." Alex admitted—more to herself than to her.

"You have to accept—"

"I know what I have to accept."

She just didn't want to accept that Paige was gone for good.

———

**Author's Notes:** I tend to update early in the morning because I'm an insomniac myself and tend to do a lot of writing to pass the time. :)


	36. 083 Lost

**#083 – Lost**

_**Relenting  
**100 words  
Last drabble in the "She" set. _

Alex relented.

She put on a grand show of being sorry. She knew she was wrong, that she needed to move on. After that, everything was right in the world. She didn't think she'd ever see the day she ran from a fight. But she didn't want to fight about Paige.

Alex lay in the bed, her body curled around her almost protectively. She wanted to love her. She even willed herself to love her. If she told herself she loved her, she eventually would. Right?

She wanted to believe she would, but she'd never been much of a dreamer.

———

**Author's Notes:** This is all I'd plan to write for this set, but I may revisit these drabbles in the future.


	37. 008 Weeks

**#008 – Weeks**

_**Can't Get You Outta My Head**  
100 words_

For Paige, the sting of a breakup didn't take long to subside, even if she'd been with the person for ages.

She thought that said much about her emotional state, the detachment she felt in most of her relationships. It wasn't that she felt she was incapable of truly loving another person—she thought she was blind to see that most of her relationships hadn't been much more than friendships with "groping privileges."

Now, she wondered why she couldn't get over Alex as quickly as she had Matt or Spinner. It'd been weeks, and she couldn't stop thinking about her.


	38. 070 Storm

**#070 – Storm**

_**The Storm**  
100 words_

Paige thought it was cute that Alex was afraid of thunder and lightning.

Alex wrapped herself tightly in the downy blanket, ignoring the movie they were watching, as the storm raged outside. She flinched every time a crack of lightning filled the sky.

Paige sang to her because that's what her mother used to do when she was afraid of storms. She didn't know the name of the song. She thought it was something her mother made up at the time. She stroked Alex's hair while she sang; only stopping when she heard Alex's even breaths.

She was fast asleep.


	39. 035 Sixth Sense

**#035 – Sixth Sense**

_**Complete  
**100 words_

There were some things that didn't need to be said between Paige and Alex; they knew exactly what the other was feeling or thinking without ever having to exchange a word. When one was sad, the other felt it in her soul. When one was happy, the other celebrated for her.

Often they could be seen together sitting quietly, as if communicating to each other by being near one another. They held private conversations with just their eyes and gestures. One glance said they'd never felt that type of completion. One simple brush of fingers said a lifetime of words.


	40. 100 Writer's Choice

**#100 – Writer's Choice (Flowers)**

_**Garden Works**  
100 words_

Paige's secret passion was gardening. She could go on about kangaroo paws and low lying juniper until she was glowing.

She often talking about moving somewhere she could have an expansive garden with everything there that she wanted. "Preferably a hillside house," she'd say, "that overlooks the ocean." She wanted to move to California; it was a gardener's paradise, Paige said.

Once Alex slipped and asked what would happen to them once she moved. Paige told her it was only natural that the move there together. What else did Alex think she would have them do?


	41. 019 Pink

**#019 – Pink**

_**The New Black**  
100 words_

"Pink is the new black." Paige said, picking up a too-pink shirt.

"Who told you a stupid thing like that, Paige?" Alex said, snatching the horrible thing away from Paige.

"It's been in all the fashion magazines and on all the fashion programs."

"And you really believe that…? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard."

"It's okay, hun. I'm not dating you for your fashion expertise." Paige said and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Oh look! They have pink gauchos. I wonder if they have them in my size!"

Shopping was always an otherworldly experience with Paige.


	42. 067 Snow

**#067 – Snow **

**_First Snow_**_  
100 words _

The first snowfall of the winter always reminded Paige of Alex.

The first snowfall was fresh and beautiful in all its purity. It had the ability to make people stop in their tracks and stare up at the sky in wonder. It made everyone forget their worries and their cares for just that moment. It was a powerful thing that held a thrall over most people.

There would never be another quite like afterwards. No matter how many times it snowed, no matter if it snowed every day, it would never possess the wonder or beauty of the first snow.


	43. 049 Queen

**#049 – Queen **

_**Untitled #02  
**100 words _

"Smoking really is a dirty habit." Paige said, wrinkling her nose, making a show of fanning the smoke away.

"I didn't mean to offend the 'Queen of Degrassi'." Alex said, taking another long drag on the joint.

She'd smoke a joint here and there, but she didn't consider it a serious habit. She liked to see Paige squirm in discomfort, though.

"I mean, don't you think about what that stuff might do to you in the long run?" Paige asked.

"Should I be worried?" she asked. Paige's nod answered in the affirmative. "I'll stop smoking when you stop being preachy."


	44. 015 Blue

**#015 – Blue **

_**Bruises  
**100 words _

She didn't like Paige's sympathy too much, so it was only natural that she hid the blue bruises under her jacket.

Paige knew how broken her home life was, and she was always mothering her, always asking her what she could do to help. Paige didn't like to hear there wasn't much she could do.

She couldn't save Alex from the drunken brawls that look place at her house, the ones that left her with bruises when she tried to protect her mother. Paige helped her forget all the bullshit. She just needed Paige to lend her some normalcy.


	45. 058 Dinner

**#058 – Dinner**

_**Dinner at the Michalchuk's**  
100 words_

Alex liked having dinner at Paige's house. They were so normal that it was scary like one of those perfect television families. They passed the peas and asked each other how their day was. They laughed at corny jokes and fretted over the clog in the sink.

Dinner didn't consist of whatever they scrounge up, outdated or not. Paige's mother cooked four course meals complete with the rolls (and she always insisted Alex take a few home). Her parents didn't mind when they stole shy glances over the roast beef.

Alex wished that this happiness could be her reality always.


	46. 033 Too Much

**#033 – Too Much**

_**Untitled #03**  
100 words_

Paige often felt that she gave too much of herself in a relationship. She was a romantic, believing that love was the answer to everything.

When she fell, she fell hard without looking before she made the big leap. Every guy guy ever dated, she believed was her knight, but she always found out later that things were less than perfect. She never wanted to see that, though.

After the inevitable break up, she was left with her feelings to attend to—where she analyzed and overanalyzed what went wrong.

She hoped the same didn't happen with Alex and her.

———

Author's Notes: I'll be a little slow updating these drabbles. I have a challenge fic to finish up before the 18th, but afterwards, I'll update these regularly again.


	47. 036 Smell

_**#036 – Smell**_

_**You Never Forget  
**100 words_

There were some things you never forgot about another person—no matter how much you wanted to. You never forgot that first kiss, or the first time she looked at you _like that_. You never forgot the way she chewed on her lip in deep thought, or the way her eyes smiled at you. You never forgot the way her fingers grazed across your lips, or the way she smelled like heaven on earth.

You'd do best to forget, for your own sanity.

The pain of not having her around was unbearable.

But you couldn't forget.

_You could never forget_.

———

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Everything just got crazy hectic. I'm back on schedule, though.


	48. 082 Deaf

**082 – Deaf**

_**Barely Listening**  
100 Words_

Paige tries to tell Alex that it isn't too late. There's still plenty of time for her to change her mind. Alex accuses of trying to make her something she isn't.

_I know you're barely even listening._

"You're not even listening to me," Paige says, holding back the shout. She searches Alex eyes, trying to make her understand. Alex continues her rant about how college just isn't for her.

_You can't shape love with a hammer._

"Can't you see?" Paige asks desperately.

This wasn't about college or post-Degrassi life.

_You can't shape love with a will._

This was about them.

———

**Author's Notes:** Life and school keeps getting in the way, but I will not abandon these drabbles. The premiere of the new season has inspired me a bit. Italicized lines are song lyrics from the song Barely Listening by Pilot Speed (formerly called Pilate).


	49. 047 Heart

_047 – heart_

_It's only just a crush  
It'll go away  
It's just like all the others  
It'll go away  
**Tear You Apart**, She Wants Revenge_

_**Tear You Apart**  
100 Words_

Kissing Alex was no big deal. She tried to remind herself of this, as she lay pressing her fingers to her lips. She'd kissed plenty of people and nothing serious ever happened.

Alex had seemed so vulnerable in those moments leading up to the kiss, and it felt like the right thing to do at the time. The only thing she could think about was kissing her hard. The feel of Alex's soft lips again her own had set her heart afire, just as she imagined it would.

It was just a crush.

Who was she kidding?

She was terrified.

———

Author's Notes: These next few chapters are all named and inspired by the songs from She Wants Revenge's self-titled album. Sorry, they're my newest obsession. :) I didn't count the lyrics in the word count.


	50. 099 Writer's Choice

_**099 – Writer's Choice**_

_Right face, wrong time  
She's sweet  
But I don't want to fall in love  
**I Don't Want to Fall in Love**, She Wants Revenge_

_**I Don't Want to Fall in Love**  
100 Words_

She broke up with Paige because it was the right thing to do.

Her mounting feelings for her would do nothing but get her in trouble in the end. They lived completely different lives. She didn't want to hold Paige back from her dreams.

At first, she tried to lie to herself, telling herself they could work despite their differing goals. She was never much an optimist, though. The more she listened to Paige dream, the more she realized that Paige could never achieve that with her hanging on to her like excess baggage.

She had to let her go.

———

**Author's Notes:** Yeah, I know they're short. They can only be a little over 100 words for the community. I'm sorry. But thanks for reading and reviewing these drabbles anyway. I want to continue working on some of my other stories about the two or starting something new, but my brain is in serious school mood. I'm finding it hard to write anything of significant length.


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